Letters | Enforce dog rules

Enforce dog rules

(Re: “It’s about doggone time!” Uncensored, Sept. 15.) Pamela White’s piece on the dog issue reassured me. I thought I was the only one who perceived uncontrolled dogs on trails and in the city parks as a problem.

I learned of the farcical “green tag” program after twice being accosted by unleashed, uncontrolled dogs on the lower Sanitas trail. To get your dog one of these “green tags” all you have to do is watch a video and sign a paper saying your dog responds to voice commands. It seems that there is some serious delusionary behavior operating with the city and the dog owners on this one. Voice control means just that. I suggest a simple test of letting a fawn run in front of the dog, and if the dog will sit and stay on command, then it gets a tag.

A shift in attitude from permissiveness to responsibility about dog ownership could be created by a few months of serious enforcement of existing leash laws everywhere. Places like North Boulder Park, where the larger spaces seem to encourage leashlessness, or the more subtle “dropped leash” behavior, would be good areas to start. Also, dogs, leashed or not, rationally should not be allowed in crowded areas and events such as the Farmers’ Market, especially since we also have a burgeoning population of stroller babies and toddlers whom a single bite from a confused or startled dog could disfigure for life.

I have had dogs, loved one in particular, and maybe that contributes to my firm belief that dogs are not people. Creating a climate where they can go anywhere, and do anything they want, does not appreciate dogs, their needs and their place in a very populated environment. Thank you.

Heidi Freestone/Boulder

Thanks for Hanson story

(“Hanson stays ahead,” Overtones, Sept. 22.) I wanted to write a sincere thank you to Steve Weishampel for writing a genuine article about a hardworking band that is not recognized enough.

I’ve been a fan since 1997, and even now, at 30 years old, I still deal with the silly mocking of “Wait, Hanson’s still around? Do they only play ‘MMMBop’ and then leave the stage?” This article was refreshing, heartfelt and much-appreciated! Thank you for taking the time to get to know the band and writing an article to inform people that they’re not only still around, but genuinely writing music and performing for their fans. We Hanson fans can’t thank you enough!

—Katelen Marr/Gilbert, Ariz.

Bachmann’s dirty ties

The sordid, often bizarre atmosphere that permeates America’s political process never ceases to astound and fascinate. Throw mainstream media collusion into the devil’s own hopper of political debauchery, and it’s a wonder that our electorate ever learns anything about our candidates.

Take the case of the massive amount of mainstream media coverage given to Michele Bachmann, particularly during the past three months. One would think that her questionable financial ties to two of her big-time campaign contributors would have surfaced by now.

Unfortunately for us voters, not so. Google the names Franklin (Frank) Vennes Jr. and Tom Petters to learn more about Ms. Bachmann’s campaign benefactors. Especially read articles written by Karl Bremer, an award-winning investigative journalist who has followed Bachmann’s career for years.

One will find that Vennes served three years in a federal penitentiary a couple of decades ago for money laundering, cocaine trafficking and illegal gun sales. Having found religion in the slammer, its virtues didn’t seem rub off on Vennes, since he was indicted this year for his role in promoting the gargantuan Ponzi scheme run by Tom Petters. Vennes is to stand trial later this year. Petters currently is serving 50 years in Leavenworth for his Ponzi depredations.

Add to this the fact that Bachmann, Republican presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty and former Minnesota Sen.

Norm Coleman all wrote then-President Bush recommending a pardon for Vennes’ prior conviction. Many of the victims of the Ponzi scam were evangelical Christians, who, curiously enough, form a major contingent of Bachmann supporters.

Whether Bachmann becomes the Republican candidate is of no consequence to me, but it beggars belief why our corporate media has almost entirely ignored her disreputable associations. Even more incomprehensible is why the Republican National Committee seemingly is unconcerned about Bachmann’s hobnobbing with convicted felons. The Vennes/Petters fiasco has been covered to death in Minnesota. Surely the honchos at the RNC know about it. Why haven’t they pulled the rug from under Bachmann and Pawlenty? Or are all Republicans as crooked as Bachmann’s funders?

Secretly, I’m hoping that a ticket of the Texas Trash Talker and Minnesota Michele will be awarded the 2012 Republican nominations. In the past I have refused to watch/listen to political speechifying, but even the whiffle-ball debate questions served up by our media idiots would elicit from this dynamic duo some highly entertaining English, hitherto unknown historical facts and statistics that will confound the intellect.

Dave Morton/Longmont

Union contributions

Enjoy your Labor Day holiday? The reason we celebrate Labor Day is largely because of the contributions made by unions to the betterment of America’s workers. The numerous beneficial influences of organized labor cannot be ignored. Most of the benefits workers now enjoy are directly attributable to unions. To cite but a few: the 40-hour work week, paid holidays and vacations, sick leave, grievance procedures, collective bargaining and generally superior wages.

Unfortunately, succeeding generations have come to take those benefits for granted. Those benefits came about because of unions and soon became the norm for union workers and many nonunion workers as well.

All American workers owe a debt of gratitude to organized labor for its achievements.

Paul G. Jaehnert/Vadnais Hts., Minn.

Hooray for Heath

(Re: “Sinking ship,” cover story, Sept. 15.) I want to add my voice to the growing chorus of support for Rollie Heath’s proposed tax increase for public education.

Three cheers for more money for a system that protects incompetent, unmotivated and low-performing teachers! Woohoo! Let’s hear it for rewarding high-performing teachers the same as low performers! Yippee! Let’s have a big round of applause for little or no competition among schools, which results in not much motivation to improve (it’s not like the tax dollars will stop rolling into their coffers or anyone will get fired if they don’t improve)!

Hooray for national per pupil spending that has more than doubled over the past 40 years while results have stayed flat! Oh, give us more of that! More money for bloated public school administrations. Yahoo!

How about a standing ovation for offloading the cost of educating children from parents to the taxpayers? Parents shouldn’t have a financial stake in the outcome of their children’s education. Heavens, no! Parents shouldn’t have to say to their child, “You can’t drop out of high school because we have $40,000 invested in your education.” Hurrah for higher taxes burdening our economy!

Chuck Wright/Westminster

Dr. Seuss on Wall Street

It’s the opening bell Should we sell?

Of course we should, We would, We could.

What are the numbers? Quick now.

Streams of ticker tape.

Hot fudge, toxic sludge.

On the shores of Guadiamar River, In Southern Spain.

On the edge of yesterday’s fertile plain.

Lies a rubbery dark blanket of zinc, iron, and cadmium.

Company specialists, scientists few, Claim shifty earth the dam wall cracked Dam that held the sedimentation basin. Dam, an open pit of toxic sludge. Dam a Trickle down economy. Kristen Marshall/Boulder

Obama caves in again

President Obama let business off the hook and called off the EPA, which has been advocating stiffer air pollution rules.

Supposedly this reprieve might “save” corporations $90 billion. And this could be the straw needed to break the hiring camel’s back. Really? If $1.2 trillion in untaxed cash and $400 billion a year in executive tax breaks haven’t led to pervasive hiring, what makes the White House imagine that another $90 billion will do the trick? Illnesses resulting from “smog” are still with us, and Medicare and Medicaid may not be for long. How do we square these real needs with the additional benefit offered intransigent, well-heeled businesses who cannot see beyond the three R’s — Rape, Ruin and Run?

If I promise to burn down America’s national forests, will Obama give me a tax break? Don’t bet he wouldn’t. And I’m not even a Republican.

Greg Iwan/Longmont

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